Stormont education minister Paul Givan is under pressure after rejecting plans by Northern Ireland’s largest school to become integrated.
There are calls for changes to the criteria for allowing schools to transform to integrated status after the DUP minister turned down a proposal by Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College.
He also dismissed an application by Rathmore PS, also in Bangor.
Both applied to the Department of Education for integrated status from September 2025 and had received majority parental support.
According to department documents, officials had recommended both schools transform, but the minister decided not to approve, stating there was not enough evidence there would be enough Catholic pupils at each school for it to provide integrated education.
He cited Stormont legislation which said there should be “reasonable numbers of both Protestant and Roman Catholic children” in integrated schools.
“Even on the most optimistic analysis, it would appear highly unlikely that reasonable numbers could be achieved,” he said.
His decision have been described as “not only exceptionally disappointing...but deeply concerning” and “flies in the face of the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the parents”.
The aim for new integrated schools, and those schools wishing to transform to integrated status, has been to attract at least 30% of pupils from the minority tradition within the school’s enrolment.
Figures reveal of 583 enrolled at Rathmore in 2022/23, there were 302 listed as Protestant, 17 Catholic and 264 ‘other’.
At Bangor Academy, of 1,835 enrolled in 2022/23, there were 1,084 Protestant, 54 Catholic and 697 ‘other’.
Pupils recorded as not belonging to either of the two main traditions are classed as ‘other’ and not included in the consideration of religious balance.
Bangor Academy principal Matthew Pitts said: “We are disappointed that the minister has gone against the significant number of parents who voted in favour of integration, but I would like to thank them for their engagement, challenge and sense of optimism that this process delivered.
“It is a privilege to work for such a forward thinking, positive and supportive community.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Givan said: “Over recent years, the percentage of Catholic children attending both Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College and Rathmore Primary school has been around 3%.
“When a school transforms to integrated, the precise religious balance within the school will vary depending on local circumstances.
“When considering the demographics of the local area, the extremely limited and historic enrolments from the Catholic community and the availability of both Catholic maintained and other integrated options, I believe there is insufficient evidence that reasonable numbers could be achieved in the future.
“I would anticipate that changing the status of the two schools to integrated would only have a marginal impact on the number of Catholic children attending the schools.
“Even on the most optimistic analysis, it would appear highly unlikely that reasonable numbers could be achieved.”
Paul Caskey from the Integrated Education Fund said it is “extremely disappointed that the minister of education has rejected the democratic wishes of the overwhelming majority of parents”.
“The minister has clearly rejected not only the desire of the school community but also the advice of his own officials, the Education Authority and the Controlled Schools Support Council,” he said.
Alliance MLA Connie Egan said: “These are not only exceptionally disappointing decisions by the education minster, but deeply concerning ones.
“The minister needs to set out his rationale for effectively blocking integrated education across north Down.”
Ms Egan added that the Integrated Education Act stated reasonable numbers of a religion was “only one part of the definition of a school seeking to be transformed”.
“If the minister has stated his decision is based around the number of Catholics attending Bangor Academy, he appears to be unwilling or unable to look at the wider picture of how many more Catholics or indeed other criteria of pupils would attend once the school is officially transformed.
“Fundamentally, the definition of an integrated school now does not simply look at religions but rather many categories, including different abilities and social diversity.”
SDLP education spokesperson Cara Hunter said the decision “flies in the face of the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the parents” at the schools, adding “it’s concerning that the minister appears to have based his decision on narrow criteria”.
“Ultimately, no education minister should be able to veto the views of schools and parents of the children and young people who attend without proper justification.”
